Anthology of Sound
by seiauton
Summary: A series of oneshots, taking place during the timeskip. Follow Sasuke as he experiences the light and darkness of Otogakure. 1st oneshot: The night of arrival. Sasuke gets introduced to his new life and finds he has to test the waters with a certain bespectacled shinobi doctor.
1. Empty vessels make the most sound

**Anthology of Sound**

* * *

 **Otogakure no Sato:**

a. _Literally meaning:_ Village Hidden by Sound

* * *

 **1\. Empty vessels make the most sound.**

...Those of worth make none.

* * *

The day he left Konoha was the day he left his old life behind. He had intended it to be the end of a chapter, a clean cut between who he had been and who he needed to be to kill his brother. But it hadn't been like that. Bonds didn't vanish like that. He had seen it all too clearly on Sakura's tear-stained face. He had heard it in Naruto's screams.

Sasuke was a nuke-nin now. The title wasn't official yet, but it would be soon enough. He had left his birth village to join an international criminal, who had attacked Konoha and killed the Hokage not too long ago. And Orochimaru's reputation spoke of crimes equally vile. Sasuke didn't know yet how deep the corruption went, but he figured he would find out for himself in due time.

As he walked behind Kabuto, his eyes scanning the dimly-lit walls, he listened to the sounds of their footsteps. He didn't shift his attention away from Kabuto, however. The chunin exams had proven to Sasuke that he could not – and would not – be trusted under any circumstance. The traits Kabuto had shown, the words he had said, they weren't real. Sasuke knew nothing about him, except for what Kabuto allowed to be seen.

"This will be your room, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto said. He had halted before a door akin to the others they had passed. Sasuke would need to be careful not to accidentally end up in the wrong place when trying to find his way around. While walking, he had attempted to build a mental map of the hideout, but he would need to revise it. It was too big to remember all at once.

Kabuto explained, "You'll find several changes of clothes in the wardrobe and a yukata for sleeping on the bed. All basic needs should be provided for, but let me know if you think anything missing." Civil. Casual. Authoritative.

Kabuto pushed up his glasses with his forefinger and thumb. The light was reflected by the lenses in a way that made it impossible to see his eyes. Sasuke didn't try to and instead looked at the door in front of them.

"I haven't yet had the opportunity to make you familiar with our rules," Kabuto tilted his head and Sasuke could see his eyes now. They looked dead, as though the light couldn't reach them at all. Sasuke lifted his chin up.

"Given the hour, it will be best to do so in the morning. However, I trust that you will behave tonight."

Again, Sasuke said nothing. He had realized quickly that Kabuto preferred if he kept quiet.

And as though on cue, Kabuto smirked, and Sasuke thought he was standing more straight. "Tomorrow, you will be attending a training session with Orochimaru-sama. I'll take you to the training fields just this once so you won't end up disturbing anyone in trying to get there."

Calculated silence stretched once more, Sasuke's gaze fixed onto Kabuto's face. It was then that Kabuto's lips thinned. He knew Sasuke knew. They stared at each other, and Sasuke couldn't tell how long the quiet exchange lasted. Neither trusted the other, and whatever fondness Sasuke had felt during the chunin exams evaporated completely. Sasuke could tell that Kabuto was measuring him up the same way that Sasuke was measuring up Kabuto.

"Be ready at 10 AM."

"Why not sooner?"

Yes, Kabuto didn't like it when Sasuke asked questions. Silence was submissive and accepting. Did Kabuto wish to feel powerful? Or was it mere dislike that led him to wish Sasuke didn't speak and, thus, didn't prolong the interaction?

"Orochimaru-sama's time is valuable," Kabuto explained. "Think yourself lucky to be awarded his attention."

It was attention which Kabuto would now be void of. He seemed oh so eager to catch Orochimaru's eyes, to please him and prove how useful he was. Sasuke had noticed as much in the short time he had been here. In fact, it was the one of the few things Sasuke knew about Kabuto that Kabuto didn't _want_ him to know. Or was it an act? Sasuke would be careful to not reach conclusions too quickly. He would have more than enough time to ascertain his observations. No use in being hasty.

He harrumphed, then vanished into his room.

To his surprise, it seemed rather cozy. A fireplace burned to the left, its soft crackling warming the atmosphere as well as the air—which was somewhat stagnant, admittedly. There were no windows, and the walls were adorned with a pattern identical to the one in the corridors. Several torches lit the room. Was there no electricity? At least the bed seemed comfortable, and the wooden work desk was big enough to be a proper working space, yet small enough to not get in the way. Another door was situated to Sasuke's right, likely leading to an adjacent bathroom.

Overall, the room wasn't big, but it wasn't like Sasuke needed much. He preferred it over a big house all to himself.

"…"

Sasuke undid the claps of his sandals. He stepped out of them, placed them near the wall, took off his weapon pouch. Now, what was he supposed to do? The hour was late, as Kabuto had stated, but Sasuke wouldn't be able to sleep yet, despite his bones aching from travel and the fight against Naruto. His left arm in particular felt awfully sore.

Kabuto had healed it with medical jutsu, but Sasuke doubted the arm had returned to its prior state. When he clenched and unclenched his fist, he felt tingling, the sensation reaching up all the way to his shoulder and neck.

He heard chidori's bird cry in his ears, a wet tearing that devoured flesh. If Naruto hadn't moved last second, Sasuke would have torn right through his heart. He had felt the resistance as he had hit the bones of the ribcage, as he had broken through them as though they were paper. And then, his hand had exited through the shoulder blade, impaling Naruto like a pig ready for barbecue.

Sasuke had almost killed his best friend. He had almost become what Itachi had foretold he would; a murderer. And Sasuke had wanted to become it.

Sasuke entered the bathroom, his hand shaking as he reached for the doorknob. No torches here so Sasuke hit the light switch. The walls were a glaring white, spotless. A shower to the left, toilet on the right. Sasuke headed to the washing basin in the middle, washed his hands, then his face. After, he looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror.

What a wreck.

He fell asleep at 2 AM, when darkness finally found him.

* * *

A/N:

Next issue: Sasuke leans that there is more to Orochimaru than meets the eye.

Thank you for joining me! This series of OS will be rather short, but the OS themselves get longer as we go. This first one is by far the shortest and meant as a sort of introduction to the project.

Please let me know what you think so far! Is there anything you'd like me to explore in this series?


	2. Safe and Sound

**2\. Safe and Sound.**

… Around you and especially when not.

* * *

10 AM was the perfect time for training. Sasuke had been skeptical at first, but after encountering Orochimaru one early morning, he had quickly been able to tell that he did not want to spend more time than absolutely necessary with him when he was sleep-deprived. The air radiating from Orochimaru had been pulsating, a dark aura capable of instilling fear in whoever passed him.

Admittedly, maybe he had been enraged by a happening Sasuke wasn't privy to, but Sasuke didn't want to take any chances. He knew from Kabuto that Orochimaru tended to work until the crack of dawn sometimes. That, to Sasuke, was a valid excuse to sleep in. Or maybe it was fear driving him toward that admission. Sasuke could talk big all he wanted; Orochimaru was a creature who had earned being feared.

And today, Sasuke learned he was deserving of hot burning anger as well.

Sasuke vomited onto the stone floor of training ground 5, his stomach convulsing in the aftermath of what he recognized to be a panic attack. He steadied himself with his palms which were pressed down firmly in an effort to still his shaking arms; not that it helped nor mattered given his whole body was trembling. Sweat covered him all over.

What had gotten him to this point was laughable. In half a year of training, Sasuke had never once allowed such a display of weakness in front of anyone. He had learned to keep to himself, to not expose fear or worries or pain, since it could and would be used against him easily. Konoha was much more lenient in many things and much more forgiving than Oto was.

And there Sasuke barfed again, the awful smell entering his nostrils. He might as well not have eaten breakfast that day.

"What's wrong, punk? Too weak to lift it?"

Sasuke wanted to laugh. He would have preferred laughter over the tears stinging in his eyes, tears that took so much effort to prevent from spilling down his cheeks.

 _Don't look at me. I don't want to be seen like this._

But Sasuke heard Orochimaru's mocking as proof that, regardless of whether he turned or not, the damage was already done. It was irreparable damage, most definitely.

Again, Orochimaru spoke, "Pick it up, Sasuke-kun." And Sasuke heard an order.

Sasuke didn't think to disobey and turned around. His knees were scraping the floor, but he couldn't feel it. He saw the unsheathed katana where he had dropped it, a blade of magnificent steel, now hissing and spitting at him as though ready to strike. Its body curled, muscles tensing, bearing its fangs. Sasuke would get bit if he dared to inch closer. It would tear through him. He would fall like his parents had, blood everywhere, someone yelling to not open the door. His mother's voice, Sasuke heard it.

Itachi had killed everyone with a weapon just like this.

Orochimaru's foot was tapping. Bodies dropping, down, down, down.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

Itachi had made Sasuke watch way too long, way too often. Every time had been like the first time, over and over. Sasuke remembered it vividly, as though the memory had burned his flesh. All he needed to do was look down on himself to see the impress.

The air was tense again, vibrating in waves and engulfing him. This wasn't a memory. Orochimaru was getting angry. He was the epicenter of this darkness, darker than Zabuza of the Mist, darker than Itachi had been at the night of the massacre.

Sasuke had gotten bigger, but so had his enemies.

Sasuke put one foot on the ground, pushed himself up. The world was shaking almost as much as he did, though Sasuke was determined to remain standing. It wasn't fair that he had to go through this nor was it fair that he had lived through what he had to get to this point. He wiped at his mouth, blinked away the tears, and picked up his sword. The touch was burning, but Sasuke noticed that he wasn't bleeding like he had thought he would.

Memories burned, touch burned, his stomach burned. Sasuke's eyes turned red.

"Now, come," Orochimaru said. He stood perfectly still, as though he saw no threat in Sasuke at all. His own blade hung loosely in his grip, and what infuriated Sasuke was that Orochimaru didn't _need_ to take him seriously. Sasuke was vermin that Orochimaru could squash beneath his feet. Sasuke would drop, drop, drop. Orochimaru would curl around him and squeeze, then eat him whole.

Sasuke closed his hand more tightly around the hilt of his weapon. He staggered, bared his teeth, breathed heavily as he decided that one day he would be strong.

Sasuke charged.

…

Sasuke screamed.

He didn't know nor cared where he was upon waking. His body startled into a seated position as arms flailed and legs thrashed to rid him of the constraints of his blanket.

The shuddering breaths he inhaled could not supply his lungs with the needed volume of air. He was going to suffocate. He was!

Panicked, he reached for his throat with both hands and cupped it from the sides. He felt hands there before he managed to touch. He needed to think it was his own hands and not those of his brother that was holding, pressing, constricting his air pipe.

Sasuke was pressed against a wall. His back throbbed painfully, but the pain there couldn't compare to the pain in his arm. Itachi had broken it like a twig he had stepped on, without deeming it worth paying attention to. Of course Itachi had noticed, it entered his awareness, yet it seemed insignificant to his purpose. Sasuke was like that. Sasuke would be killed by him and Itachi would rip his eyes out of their sockets. Itachi would blind his little brother, the one that had looked up to him with these very eyes that were sparkling with adoration.

 _'You don't carry enough hatred.'_

In searching for Itachi, Sasuke was searching for death. He was committing suicide, agonizingly slowly. Maybe Sasuke wanted to suffer. Maybe he deserved it. No, he most definitely did. He had been too weak to prevent his brother from committing the massacre, and before that, he had been too weak to be a proper son to his father.

A sob broke from him, and when he felt wetness on his hands he realized that he was crying. His shoulders shook as his muscles tensed to the utmost degree. He tried to fight the desperation that his dream had left in its wake, tried to break free from its lingering effects. Sasuke knew he was awake, but he had equally little control over what was happening now than he had when he was asleep.

He continued to pant between his sobs. Breathing seemed impossible; his heart racing as though trying to jump from the confines of Sasuke's body, wanting to touch air that way.

Sasuke really couldn't breathe. He was hyperventilating. His carotid artery was pulsing against his palms quicker and quicker, and it caused Sasuke to gasp faster. He escalated, panicked. He wasn't in control at all. He was too weak. Too weak. Too _weak_!

Sasuke cried openly when he allowed his hands to exert pressure. If nothing else, he could control pain, and if his body wouldn't allow him to breathe, Sasuke would overrule it by preventing himself from breathing by choking himself. It was a choice now, a choice Sasuke could make and control.

Soon, his arms were shaking of strain instead of panic. Applying pressure for longer than a few seconds was more difficult than Sasuke had thought.

Then, Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder. He jerked, and his hands curled tighter around his neck again. Long black hair was the first thing he saw, making Sasuke jump against the headboard. He pushed himself backward by kicking against the mattress, pushed against the wood despite knowing there was no escaping now. Itachi was going to kill him. Sasuke would die.

But he didn't. Itachi touched Sasuke's shoulder again, reached with his other hand to cup Sasuke's own. Sasuke flinched at every contact and pressed his lids together so he didn't have to see. He waited for pain.

"Let go, Sasuke-kun."

 _Orochimaru?_

Sasuke snapped open his eyes. He mouthed Orochimaru's name soundlessly as though trying to make himself understand. When he looked at Orochimaru's eyes, they didn't glow red in the darkness. They were a dull yellow, almost gold. Sasuke saw clearly how they were fixated on him and how Orochimaru's brows formed a subtle but distinct frown.

Despite the darkness, Sasuke could see it clearly. He realized that his sharingan were burning brightly, most likely since he had woken up. Stress did that sometimes. But how come Orochimaru could see when there was no light? This was an underground base, a cave, where-

"Sasuke-kun." The familiar voice managed to direct Sasuke's attention to the present. Sasuke was used to hearing it give orders or instructions, and Sasuke knew it was important to listen. The dark and raspy sound gave the voice an authoritative touch.

For some reason, Orochimaru was sitting on the edge of the bed now. His cool fingers curled around one of Sasuke's wrists. The thumb dug under the side of Sasuke's palm, between the hand and Sasuke's neck. Orochimaru leaned close, as though in emphasis, and said again, "Let go."

Sasuke did, assisted by Orochimaru's hand. Orochimaru's fingers continued to curl around Sasuke's, but they didn't squeeze. Right now, Orochimaru wasn't the snake monster he had been on the training field.

"Well done," Orochimaru said, and he smiled as he did. He wiped over Sasuke's eyes and cheeks to rid them of tears, then moved his hand up to gently stroke Sasuke's hair. As this was happening, Sasuke did nothing except stare. The touches didn't burn. There was no poison, no hurt. Sasuke calmed, slowly, until he was able to breathe normally again. His heart kept pounding, but Sasuke wasn't scared anymore. Was that weird?

Orochimaru let go. Sasuke thought he was going to leave, but again his expectations turned out to be flawed. Instead of standing up, Orochimaru remained seated right where he was and pulled Sasuke against his chest, thus successfully removing him from the headboard he was pressing his back against.

"You are doing so well, dear," Orochimaru praised. "Continue to breathe; deep breaths. I'll stay with you tonight so you don't have to be alone."

But Sasuke wasn't a child anymore, he didn't need an adult to watch over him. He didn't need Orochimaru. He refused to need him for anything except training. Orochimaru was a monster in human skin, yet human in moments like this. Sasuke should be scared even more because of it.

"You have suffered on your own for a long time. It's alright now. I will take care of you," Orochimaru promised.

Sasuke refused to need him. At the same time, he felt his shoulders relax and his right hand reach out to hold onto Orochimaru's yukata. It wasn't a conscious action, but Sasuke couldn't undo it once he noticed it. He was despicable. Orochimaru was. Sasuke was.

Orochimaru grinned.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Next Oneshot: After failing on the training field, Sasuke sets out on a mission to capture an escaped experiment.

Thank you again for reading! This is the OS I wanted to write when I first came up with the idea for this series. It grew bigger for there, and here we are.  
At the moment, I'm at a loss for what to do with the fourth and last OS, so if you have any wishes or suggestions, don't hesitate to send them to me! Other reviews are of course just as welcome ;D

The third OS is already written and will be posted in a few days.


	3. Of a sound mind

**3\. Of a sound mind.**

 **...Let's try our best.**

* * *

Sasuke didn't know how it had happened, only that it had.

His eyes trailed Kabuto's movements as the medic wrapped gauze around his arm, the soft sound of the sticky material parting from itself being the only noise in the room. Different from usual, Kabuto didn't smirk upon seeing Sasuke hurt. There weren't any taunts or scoldings either. But they would come, Sasuke thought. And they would be brutal.

Never before had Sasuke lost control like this. It wasn't a matter of who was stronger, after all, but a matter of how he went about proving his superiority. Strategy and efficiency stood at the center of these additional sparring sessions, not the fight for survival. Every spar, Sasuke had ended the same way. He had not meant to do any differently today. He hadn't _meant_ for it, and that was what pushed him toward a silence that wasn't silent at all. It was a feeling that urged him toward action when there was nothing he could do.

As per usual when treating Sasuke, Kabuto glanced at Sasuke's wrist. He had wrapped the bandage all the way down, from the elbow to the faint scars on the inside of Sasuke's arm. Sasuke sometimes wondered why Kabuto's gaze tended to linger there as much as it did. It surely wasn't out of sympathy.

All Kabuto did could be traced back to Orochimaru in one way or other, thus Sasuke assumed that this would be the case now as well. Sasuke had come up with a theory, and it went like this: Orochimaru would take over Sasuke's body one day. Kabuto was likely imagining Orochimaru wearing these same scars, concealed by a henge, or makeup, or whatever else he thought convenient.

Kabuto must blame himself for letting Sasuke damage himself upon seeing the scars. Sasuke had turned himself into damaged goods, and yet he was the best option they had for extending Orochimaru's lifespan. It must make Kabuto angry, and the thought of it improved Sasuke's mood the slightest bit.

At last, Kabuto fixated the bandage by tugging the end of it in on the side. He leaned back. The longer the silence lasted, the worse the words breaking it would be. Sasuke knew Kabuto like Kabuto knew him. They hated each other. It was a limbo neither knew how to escape from. Fantasizing was the best they could do, and both seemed to do it often when crossing paths with one another.

Kabuto pushed up his glasses.

"I healed most of it," he said. "But I consider it best to allow the remaining injuries to heal naturally. They will serve as a reminder to you, so that what happened today will not happen again."

Sasuke was too tired to bicker and thus nodded. He read into what Kabuto said, knew that no lasting effects would result from the natural healing; same spiel as last time.

Kabuto's frown deepened. "Orochimaru-sama reminds you that this will not affect your departure tomorrow. You are to take this mission and complete it within the day. Are we clear?"

"Yes," Sasuke said. He stood to take his leave, assuming that all had been said. He felt Kabuto's eyes follow him as he turned toward the door.

"And Sasuke-kun-"

Sasuke's right hand—not his left—stilled on the doorknob.

"Be careful."

…

Had this been something other than training, Sasuke would have set out as soon as the news reached him. But, given the escape was staged, the prisoner had been allowed a 12-hour head-start.

Sasuke didn't know the details, neither about the escape nor about why Orochimaru considered this chase useful to Sasuke's development. But Sasuke wouldn't question it now. Instead, he reflected upon what he knew.

Prisoner 326 had been stationed in cell complex B, section A. It meant he was one of the successful, yet uninteresting experiments. It meant he was strong. And, of course, Sasuke had received no information about the specifics of his combat abilities.

Apparently, the man had resided within Otogakure for several years and had been experimented on until about six months ago. Sasuke was baffled that the prisoner had not questioned the decision of allowing him to roam free all of a sudden. Or maybe he had questioned it but had not known how else to proceed but to go along with it. Maybe he was hopeful, or petrified. Maybe, he suspected that someone was coming after him, like a bloodhound chasing prey for the amusement of man.

Sasuke felt bad for the guy. Sympathy was a feeling Sasuke had learned to ignore upon coming to Otogakure almost two years ago.

He jumped from tree to tree, hardly paying attention to the branches. He trusted his body and instincts to do the work for him, like they had done many times before. Around his neck, a snake had wound the midsection of its long dark body which extended farther down on the inside of Sasuke's sleeve. The bandages there gave the summon extra support, and the creature had additionally slid between and around his fingers to find a comfortable yet secure resting place. Its scaled head gently pressed against Sasuke's thumb, sometimes tickling the skin there as it tracked the escapee's scent with its tongue.

 _This_ human bloodhound, after all, lacked the required ability to pick up on his victim's scent. Sasuke was in need of assistance to fulfill the task assigned to him, and the trusty summon proved to be the perfect pick for the job.

While the snake did most of the work, guiding him with subtle movements, Sasuke's mind lingered on what had happened yesterday evening. He had thought about it at night too but had fallen asleep quickly. Sasuke didn't understand how sleep had found him at all that night. He was disgusted at himself for not reacting more strongly to what he had done. He had not thought himself to be the kind of person who could push his guilt aside with no effort at all. After all, he had killed a man for the first time in his life.

Sasuke had been prepared to kill many times. Back in the forest of death, he had faced ninja with killing intent, and he had not regretted it. Sakura had yelped upon realizing, but they had both known the necessity of self-defense. They or them. Sasuke had been most eager to ensure his team would survive another day in that wretched forest.

Sasuke had been twelve years old then. He was 14 now. He felt as though something had changed since his Genin days, and he couldn't determine whether the change was welcome or not. He wanted to be angry at himself for killing a man needlessly, but he recognized that it would be a waste of time to give in to sentimentality. To apply logic here-Did it make him a bad person? But, hadn't he been prepared to become exactly this? Or was it Itachi's words that had driven him toward being such a person? Was it Sasuke's decision at all? Did it _matter_?

There was no excuse for what Sasuke had done. He had misjudged his opponent's capabilities while overestimating his own, and thus Sasuke's katana had hit the man in the chest rather than in the shoulder. Sasuke didn't know the man's name, but he had been one of the better-trained subjects as well as a surviving experiment chosen to be one of two sparring partners Sasuke was meant to challenge that evening.

What Orochimaru had done to the man had allowed him to move at an astonishing speed. He had dashed around Sasuke so fast that Sasuke had needed to rely on his sharingan entirely to see him at all.

To think that the man had perfect control over the most minuscule of movements at such velocity, it had been foolish, downright. Sasuke had expected him to see the attack coming, to react to it. But in fact, it was likely that the man had been unable to see much at all. There always was a reason why Orochimaru decided to discontinue an experiment. How he had ended up, impaled on Sasuke's blade, face distorted in an almost comical grimace, was proof that Orochimaru had been correct in not developing the project further.

Sasuke hadn't meant to kill, and yet there was no denying that he had. Maybe that was why he felt the way he did. Or, maybe, Sasuke lacked the ability to react more appropriately. Even if blood stained him now, he was still the same person. Some would say he would look odd without it. After all, did he not intend to spill more blood in the future?

At last, the snake stirred in Sasuke's sleeve. It moved its body in S-shaped movements, slithered further down his arm to raise its head and observe its surroundings. Its tongue flickered excitedly, and its eyes focused on the path ahead.

Around here, yes? Sasuke jumped down.

Not wasting any time, the snake descended toward the ground as well, using Sasuke's body to bridge the distance. It vanished into the bushes. Sasuke followed.

However, he was soon forced to stop in his pursuit when the snake turned its head from one side to the other, performing a half-circle indicative of its confusion. It had lost the trail, but this shouldn't be possible. If it had managed to follow the scent of the prisoner for this long, there should be no reason to not recognize it this close to the source.

The snake seemed to share Sasuke's puzzlement, for its movements became hectic. It rose its head only to duck low again. To Sasuke, it seemed almost like a dance. Sasuke allowed the snake to vanish in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke looked up. He would need to find the man through different means. Maybe his abilities had to do with this. Maybe he had gotten rid of his inherent scent somehow. But why would the trail vanish here? What could omit a strong enough smell to trick a snake trained for this very purpose?

If all went well, Sasuke would soon find out. He allowed his eyes to turn red, the black tomoe circling as his vision became clearer. Sasuke turned his head to the right, to the left-

And already, he'd found his target; or, rather, the fist that was now inches away from Sasuke's face.

Immediately, Sasuke jumped to the side, chakra pushing him far enough to reach tree branches once more. He held onto one of them as a loud crash shattered earth and broke through unsuspecting tree trunks. Sasuke could feel the ground shake, and a gust of wind threw small debris and dirt.

From the dirt, the experiment rose.

A man he was; big, broad shoulders, muscular. Sasuke recognized the clothes he was wearing as the uniform the prisoners tended to wear. What prompted Sasuke to furrow his brows, however, was his skin. Under the sharingan's gaze, it omitted strong waves of chakra wherever it was exposed to air, as if it were steam. But the skin itself, it bore craters, deep canyons of flesh all over the man's body. The face wasn't spared from this peculiar pattern, and neither was the back of his bald, egg-shaped head.

"I have come to retrieve you," Sasuke said. His voice rose loudly enough to reach the experiment clearly while carrying a sense of authority. "Orochimaru has changed his mind about letting you go."

But the man knew. He had attacked as soon as his position had been compromised. It was likely that he knew who Sasuke was and that he had been able to understand what his appearing here indicated.

After coming this far, almost crossing the border to the abandoned Uzu no Kuni, it was unlikely that the escapee wished to return to his life as a prisoner. However, Sasuke had no choice but to follow orders. He needed Orochimaru to trust him for a while longer, until Sasuke had become strong enough to face his brother in battle, on as equal a footing as at all possible.

If Sasuke had to choose between freeing a stranger and attaining his goal, there was no real choice, was there?

The experiment said nothing. He stood, eyes focused on Sasuke. And then, without notice, he vanished right under Sasuke's nose. That was, his physical body did. Gone were the piercing eyes and weirdly disfigured skin. But Sasuke saw that he had not moved. He saw because the waves of chakra omitting from his target gave it away. It appeared, to Sasuke, that the man was masking himself within them, erecting a shield to hide behind at his convenience.

This must work well on most opponents, but Sasuke had the gift of sight. Another may have the gift of smell. But, wait. The summon had been unable to locate the man from most likely the moment he had used this technique. So had Orochimaru found a way around detection by smell?

What matter now was that Sasuke seemed exempt from the trickery. He could see chakra, and his target was exuding a whole lot of it.

Once again, Sasuke let himself fall to the ground, and he landed elegantly on both feet. As he did so, his eyes did not stray from the figure.

"I can still see you," he claimed. At that, the nebula of chakra stirred. The color shifted from yellow to orange. It moved backward, first slow, then faster. Sasuke did not haste when following, but every step was carefully placed, executed just so that it would bring him closer to the experiment. There was no denying his sight, the power of his family running through his veins. And the experiment understood that. He turned fully visible again.

Sasuke now noticed that he was crying.

"I don't want to go back." The man's voice was higher than suspected, but it fit his body surprisingly well. His shoulders drew up, and his fists clenched. One of them was bruised from when he had demolished a tree or two.

"I can't go back! I- I have a family!"

Sasuke stood silently, waiting if there was anything else the man felt the need to say to him. Again, pity welled up inside him, a burning sensation that bubbled up from a spring deeply rooted in Sasuke's heart. It was a spring that would never run dry, but Sasuke was willing to let it fill his every crevice. He could not give in.

The man continued to plead.

"My daughter! I left her all those years ago, fool that I was. She was so small, so helpless. I needed the money to raise her. I couldn't find a job! Coming to Otogakure was the biggest mistake of my life. I must return to her, my sweet daughter. You must help me, please!"

It was a plea that could reach only those who were softened to the point of stupidity. Sasuke continued to stare, tilted his head up.

"You think you can lie to an Uchiha?"

For lies they were. The man may have a daughter, Sasuke didn't know, but what he had just been told did not come from a place of truth. His age may paint Sasuke inexperienced, but what Sasuke was not was an idiot. He would not have anyone believe that he was.

Sasuke approached, and the man did nothing. He had been overpowered in both battle strength and wits. Now, surrender was all that was left.

He let himself fall against the tree in his back, eyes shut. As Sasuke reached for his wrist and closed a chakra-suppressing cuff around it, he asked for the man's daughter's name.

…

Sasuke had accomplished his mission with hours to spare. He had not needed to fight, and neither had he needed to strategize. To him, the exercise had been pointless, but Orochimaru must see some sense in it for he smiled widely upon hearing Sasuke's report. The smile widened further when Sasuke explained he had been able to see the escapee despite his technique.

Once Sasuke had finished, Orochimaru had clasped his shoulder, thanked him for his work, and left the room to do whatever else Orochimaru tended to do. Sasuke, on the other hand, had decided to visit the infirmary, where the once-escaped-now-retrieved prisoner was being treated for the wound on his hand.

But by the time Sasuke reached the infirmary, the man had already left. However, Sasuke caught a glimpse of a woman sleeping in one of the hospital beds. A bandage was wrapped around her head, and Sasuke knew that beneath the blankets, several more bandages must be hidden.

She had been the second sparring partner, the one who had punished Sasuke for killing her brother by accident.

Sasuke thought that she would never forgive him, and Sasuke didn't want her to. She had been strong enough to challenge and injure him, and while Sasuke had been in shock and not at all prepared for her sudden reaction at the time, it was a feat worth noting. One day, she may manage to avenge the relative Sasuke had stolen from her.

The door slid closed behind Sasuke. He vowed to not kill again unless there was no other way of surviving. And maybe, when Itachi was dead, he would be willing to fight the woman once more.

* * *

 **A/N:**

There are many issues with this chapter. I know that I could fix them, and I know that I could write a fourth chapter like I set out to do initially. But it's not worth it. I started this project because I loved the idea of it, but now the enthusiasm is gone, and I see no reason to go on when I get very little in return.

A big thank you to my friend Lady, who gave valuable feedback, and to dear Kabuto-mun, who has let me know her thoughts as well and urged me to keep going. I posted this last chapter for you both. I hope you enjoyed it in spite of everything.

Feedback is still appreciated, but I will no longer ask for it.  
See ya around!


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